Method and apparatus for forming sheet glass



Agw 8, 733% J. c. BLAIR METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET GLASS Filed April 25,

EYWW ri-Wig per fixed housing surrounding the Patent pr. l93

JAMES C. BLAIR, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LEBEY-0WENS GLASS COED, 0F TOL, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD I.

This invention relates to the art of making sheet glass, and more particularly to animproved process and apparatus for drawing glass downwardly into sheet form.

' Systems have been heretofore proposed in which molten lass is flowed downwardly onto and aroun a directing member or slab, from the lower edge of which the glass is continuously drawn down into sheet form. This glass sheet is suspended from the lowerpor tion of the forming or directing slab, until substantially set in sheet form, and is then either supported between driven rollers for the remainder of its downward travel until severed into suitable sheet sections, or while still suficiently plastic is deflected through an arc until it rests upon a suitable horizontal conveyor. The sheet drawing force depends upon the mass of glass directly suspended from the lower edge of the forming member, and in order to vary this drawing force to secure the proper drawing speed and desired. thickness of sheet, it is necessary to vary the length or mass of this suspended portion of the lass sheet. This adjustment is ordinarily fiificult to accomplish since the container for the molten glass is large and heavyv must have a substantially fixed relation to the glass-producing furnace, and it is also difficult and inconvenient to vary the location oi the conveyor for the finished sheet.

According to the present invention means are provided for adjusting vertically the entire sheet-forming portion of the mechanism as a unit, without varying any of the sheetformin conditions except the weight of the suspen ed portion of the sheet. More specifically, the sheetdorming slab, and a hopper or receptacle for catching the downwardly flowing stream of molten glass, are arranged in relatively fixed positions within an enclosing housing which is adjustable, vertic all through a rather long range of travel. This housing has telescopic connection with an 115- downwar 1y flowing stream of molten glass, so that the molten stream and the sheet-terrain mechanism are always completely enclose and the temperature conditions therearound remain substantially constant. By adjg this APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET GLASS 1924:. aerial No. 708,839.

sheet-forming means vertically the mass of the suspended sheet is varied to secure the desired drawing force. At the same time the vertical fall of the stream of molten glass will be varied, but this is of no consequence since the stream is first caught in the distributing hopper, which will normally contain a small pool of the molten glass of substantially constant volume, the molten glass flowing from this pool at a constant rate onto and'around the sheet-forming slab. The adjusting mechanism also provides an easy means for providing access to the distributing hopper and sheet-forming slab when it becomes necessary to repair or replace these parts.

The invention will be more clearly under stood from the following detailed description of one approved form oi. the apparatus.

in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the apparatus.

2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

From the supply of molten glass 1 which is maintained in the extension 2 of the glassforming tank or furnace, a shallow stream 3 is permitted to flow over the lip 4. The volume of this stream may be regulated as desired by adjusting vertically the gate or shear-cake 5. The molten glass 1 is enclosed by a housing 6, and a vertical housing? formed as a continuation oi the housing 6 provides an enclosing heating chamber about the molten stream 3. The housing 7 is of considerable vertical extent as shown in Fig."

1, and is carried by an outer metallic casing 8, hung as at 9 from suitable horizontal beams or supports 10 carried by the vertical supporting beams 11. The temperature within housing 7 may be regulated lo suitable burners such as 12, and also heate gases may pass into this chamber from the furnace, through openings 13 in gate 5,-which ma be opened or closed as desired hy the secon ary gate or shear-cake i l.

Vertically adjustable within the housing 7 and having a telescopic fit therewith is a second vertical housing 15 formed of suitable refractory material. This housing is enclosed and supported by a metallic casing it having supporting brackets 1! at its four lower corner At the upper end of the housing is mounted s. refractory container or distributing member 18 having a hopper 19 with as (men upper portion for catching the downw. c y is'iiing molten stream 3. Hopper 19 is edsnted to contain a pool of molten .90, iron; which glass flows through the distribot slot 21. onto the upper end of the sheet itorining sis" This siuh is .uhstuntially "wedge-shaped, :11 u ion dinsl recess 23 in its upper icl-Icr edg n for catching the ins down. enough distributing slot El.

moitcn e'luss recess 23 overflows in he opposite inwardly 3 of the slah, titr s C eiue' ers have their flames films iroper u'oriin ten. tain the proper ten .58 in housing In;

itance beneath slab 2): s1

Ivond the roile. sheet is deliec' porting bracket 17, at one 4 l 15, has threaded -upporteo' by, a ve*"- "cu% u, end is w 32 i h is fit rrnal'ed at its upper e Ital bearing carried by the beams 11, the screw 82 being hung shove hearing thrust lie-sung 34. The lower end 132 is jo u'nsled in a bracket 35 suits-o ported from the beams 11, and a Worm Wheel 36 keyed .i the tower end of the screw meshes with a u.

r1 3? keyed on horizontal There are two of these shafts 38, each curry two ct the Worms 37, and two shafts are simultaneously driven through he'vel gearing" 39 from. s. cross-shaft 4O udspted to he driven in any approved manner, as by sprocket gearing 41. By suitably rotating the shaft 40 the screws 32 will be simultaneously rotated in such directions as to elevate or tower the hoi'zsin'g" 15, and the sheet-form ing mechanism supported therein.

When housing 15 is elevated to its extreme upper position the molten stream 3 will flow almost directly into the hopper 19 Without any great vertical fell, and the portion of glass sheet 26 suspended from the slab 22 will hate its maximum mass. This will provide the greatest drawing force and a proportion utely fast drawing rate for the sheet. The necessary low of molten glass to supply this drawing rate may be provided by raising the gate or sneer-cake 5. When housing 15 is lowered to such a position that its upper end just telescopes Within the lower end of housing '4', the mess of the suspended sheet 26 Will he mil 'mum, and the drer rate will be iortionately slow. 15 time there he a maximum fall the molten stream Kn the housing 7. nil-te n, this does affect the drawing condition; the full is glass is taken up by the hopper 18 end ner 18, i since the pool 20 in the hepper is in ned at a suhstm stunt volume, the flow throug d not to the slut Wiil he subs .tiully cons i? the vertical djustrnent 0: uising It will he seen t by adjusting *1 housing 15 and the eheet-Lorming mechatII'IlQCl thereby to any desired pos ion he rnngc of travel noted above, the th suspended sheet 26 and consequently the sheet-draw "11;; rate may be we 1 i desired without materially disturhin; te p ature of the molten glass or her conditions which the miug process.

.E'he screws are of such lcu tl': the housing 15 may be lowered coin lets 2t o" its. upper housing 7 so ont-uiner 18 4nd slab 22 may be e22 renter-1 d and re ecid. At such time the stream of molten will be oil by lowering the onto overflow hloel;

Claims:

1. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, slwetiormin means for catching a, stream or molten glass, distributing ihe glass into sheet form. and suspending a vertically hanging portion of the sheet, at supporting h0ns- 1n for the sheet-forming menus, and means h for u ljusting the housing vertically.

in apparatus for 1 redu ing; sheet glass, sheetforminn: means for catching a stream of molten glass. distributing the glass into sheet form, and suspending a Vertically hanging portion ot the sheet, housing for the molten stream, and a housing for the sheet-torn means, the two h usings having telesc .zonncction with :me another, and mean. .UI adjusting the letter housing and the show Dunning means Vertically as a uni 3. ;n apparatus for producing sheet giass, sheet-forming: me us for catching; it earn of molten gloss, enstributing the glass into sheet form, and suspending s vertically hanging portion of the sheet, a supporting housing for the sheet-forming means, and a plurality of vertical screws for adjustably carrying the supporting housing.

4. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, a container for molten glass from which a stream of molten glass flows downwardly, a sheet-forming member, means for catching the molten stream and distributing it to the sheet-forming member, and means for adjusting the sheet-forming member vertically in a manner that the sheet drawing rate is accurately controlled.

5. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, a container for molten glass from which a stream'of molten glass flows downwardly, a sheet-forming member, means for catching the molten stream and distributing it to the sheet-forming member, and means for adjusting the distributing means and the sheetforming member vertically as a unit.

6. In apparatus for producing sheet glass,

a container for molten glass from which a stream of molten glass flows downwardly, a sheet-forming member, means for catching the molten stream and distributing it to the sheet-forming member, a horizontal conveyor for supporting and carrying away the glass sheet, means for deflecting the suspended sheet onto the conveyor, and means for adjusting the sheet-forming member vertically in a manner that the sheet drawing rate can be accurately controlled.

7 In apparatus for producing sheet glass, a container for molten lass from which a stream of molten glass ws downwardly, a sheet-forming member, means for catching means to control the drawing rate of said sheet.

10. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, a sheet forming member, for catching a stream of molten glass, distributing the glass into sheet form, and suspending a vertically hanging portion of the sheet, a plurality of rotatable members for supporting the suspended portion of the sheet adjacent its lower end, and means 'for adjusting the sheet forming member vertically with respect to the rotatable members to vary the drawing rate of said sheet.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas, and State of Ohio, this 22d day of April,

JAMES C. BLAIR.

the molten stream and distributing it to the I sheet-forming member, a horizontal conveyor for supporting and carrying away the glass sheet, means for deflecting the suspended sheet onto the conveyor, and means for adj usting the distributing means and the sheetforming member vertically as a unit.

8. In apparatus for producing sheet glass, a container for molten lass from WhlCh a stream of molten glass ows downwardly, a sheet forming member," means arranged above said sheet forming member and spaced therefrom for catching the stream of molten glass and distributing it thereto, a housing enclosing the sheet forming memberand supporting the distributing means upon the upper end thereof, and means for ad usting said housing, sheet forming member and distributing means vertically as a umt.

9. In apparatus for producing sheet glass,

sheet forming means for catching a stream of molten glass, distributing the glass into sheet form, and suspending a vertically hanging portion of the sheet, means for supporting and guiding the suspended portlon of said; sheet, and means for adjusting the sheet forming means relative to said supporting 

